Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-10-07
THE FUTURE OF CHICAGO.
A Prophecy by w. II. II. Murray-Can-
ada's Future Population.


Chicago is the commercial center of
surrounding country destined, within
lifetime. to contain 100. 600, 900 of indus
trious, thrifty, and luxury loving people.
The population of London is to that of
England and Wales as four to twenty-six.
And should the population of Chicago
ever hold the same relation TO the popu-
lation of the ten great states that encircle
and are commercially tributary to her as
London holds to England and Wales her
census will. as surely as the sun rises
over the prairies, show the enormous
total of 90 900. 600 of souls. Nor is this
to be vastly wondered at when one con-
siders that she is the queen city. the CEN
ter and outlet of such an agricultural
area as can nowhere else be found on the
globe; that she is already the third man
ufacturing city of the continent; that the
total value of her trade is more than ST.
600, 100000 per year, and that $4,000
vessels arrived at and sailed from her
wharves last year, with tonnage of
nearly 5000, 900.
Very well. Now, over the line which
is the boundary between Minnesota and
Canada is a section of country as large as
eleven Illinoises, whose soil is the best on
the earth, and over which shines q most
productive sun. Here is richness of soil;
here is plenty of moisture; here is a most
growthful climate; here is the last unoc-
cupied, and, perhaps the most productive
wheat belt on the continent. What else
is wanted? One thing. Give me one
thing more and l will predict that, in
this great Canada and the west, within
the length of a healthy human life will
be found eleven geographical divisions,
as large, as prosperous and as rich as is
the great state of Illinois today. What
is that one thing? you ask. l answer:
Coal.
In Illinois two feet in every three of
her entire area are underlaid with coal.
A poor man in Illinois can get his coal at
$3.50 ton. If there had been no coal
there, then could there be no population,
or next to none. Coal was wanted as a
prime condition of the Canadian future,
as measured by the populational possibili-
ties of this vast area of hers, and coal,
coal in abundance, has been found That
solved the problem of the size of Canada &
future population, for it left it contingent
only on climate and soil, which are both
perfect. The best wheat bearing belt,
now unoccupied, on the continent; a
healthy climate, popular government and
cheap fuel, these are the suspicious con.
ditions which, joined in happy conjunc
ton, make an otherwise dark and uncer,
tain future suddenly flame with the
splendor of summer sunrise when il
comes to the flowers and grasses of the
vast prairie land of which am speaking
for they surely and on the instant en-
larged the possibilities, nay, the certain
ties, of Canada as to her future popula
ton being beyond any fixed measure
ment.
The question may be asked, whence il
this great Canadian population to come
How is the real Canada to be peopled?
But the Canada that has been, nay
that is today, is not the real Canada
Americans should not forget this. TIL,
real Canada of the future lies not cas-
and north, but west of Ontario. Winni
peg, and not Montreal, is the geograph
ical center. Its commercial center is no
Toronto, but Chicago. North and Yves
of Lake Superior lies vast area of terri
tory as productive as to the nature of it
soil, and as attractive to civilization a
any equal extent of territory on the tac'
of the globe. trUm it eleven states a
large as the great state Of Illinois can b.
carved. Here more than 0,O0O.UOO o
people will i'll few years. compare
lively, find their home.-W. Ii. Ii. Muir
ray III Chicago Herald.